“Real Housewives of Miami” star Alexia Nepola is opening up about Bravo pausing the show for a second time and blasted viewers for not showing enough support. During a new interview, the outspoken TV personality, along with her best friend, Marysol Patton, expressed confusion about the network’s decision before sharing their hopes for the series’ future.

Alexia Nepola Speaks Out After Bravo Places ‘RHOM’ On Pause For A Second Time

While speaking with Page Six‘s Virtual Reali-Tea, Nepola, who appeared in the first edition of the series from 2011 to 2013, said Bravo viewers have more to do with the show’s hiatus than they realize.

“All these Bravo fans need to watch our show,” Nepola said. “Because it’s always like, ‘Oh my God, we love your show.’ Our show’s so popular, but where are these Bravo fans? We need them! We need them to watch our show because apparently our ratings were not that high and that’s why we’re on a pause — for now. But our life continues.”

Patton shared a similar sentiment, expressing confusion about the network’s recent decision, claiming she’s recognized everywhere she goes. “To me, it doesn’t make any sense because everywhere I go when I travel, people know who we are,” she said. “They know me, buy me a cockie, send me a cockie, the bartender’s like, ‘Can I get you a cockie?’”

Nepola Says ‘RHOM’ Viewership Doesn’t Reflect The Show’s Popularity

Continuing, Patton said, despite the viewership, the “Real Housewives of Miami” is a beloved series.

“Everybody knows us, they watch it. Hispanic people from all over the world are like, ‘Oh my God, we’re so excited — you represent Latinos.’ And then to hear that the viewership was low doesn’t make sense,” she said.

Likewise, Nepola said the show’s viewership isn’t an accurate measure of the impact the show had on pop culture.

“The ratings don’t reflect what our popularity is, is what I’m trying to say,” she said. “So to those Bravo fans and people that love our show, please continue to watch and support us because we need that if you want to see us back on TV.”

Nepola Is Hopeful Bravo Will Bring ‘RHOM’ Back To Air After Some Time Away

Bravo confirmed it had put “Real Housewives of Miami” on pause in March 2026, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“Real Housewives” executive producer Andy Cohen expressed his sadness about the show’s current state before expressing hope that it would return.

Nepola is remaining optimistic. She told Page Six that “RHOM” is a show “that everybody loves.”

“But for whatever reason, I don’t know if the timing was wrong last season — our show was in the summer which is a difficult time of the year to actually watch the show live. So I think that influenced a lot. And you know what? We’re hoping that sooner than later we’ll come back because I feel like ‘Miami,’ the cameras should always be up,” she said.

Drama In Miami!

According to a previous report from The Blast, one of the show’s OG cast members, Lisa Hochstein, was recently arrested and charged with one felony count of interception of communication.

The charges stem from her ex-husband, Lenny Hochstein, accusing her and her boyfriend, Jody Glidden, of planting recording devices in his car and spying on him in March 2023.

The arrest warrant said the device was “covered in tape which, upon learning the nature of the device, the victim suspected was used to secure it under the seat and out of view.”

Lisa and Glidden’s alleged behavior occurred during the reality star’s contentious divorce from Lenny, which began in May 2022.

Nepola Reached Out To Lisa After News Of Her Legal Woes Broke The Internet

Lisa and Glidden’s arrest came as a surprise to many, including Nepola, who told Page Six that she reached out to her co-star as soon as she learned of it.

“I’m just here for her — to support her and give her a big hug and a kiss when she comes out. That’s why our show is different from other shows. We’re real friends,” Nepola said.

Despite the drama, Nepola said their focus is on each other during this time. “At a time like this, everybody comes together and we forget our differences,” she said. “We’re good… both Adriana and I are here to support Lisa.”

General Hospital finds Willow Tait (Katelyn MacMullen) getting crazier by the day as she scrambles to hold the pieces of her crumbling life together. Because the walls are closing in on her. And when they do, Willow might do something even more dangerous than the things she’s already engaged in.

We’re going to talk about who might get hurt when Willow is cornered and the truth comes out that she shot Drew Cain (Cameron Mathison) and did other bad things to cover her crimes.

Nina Finds Out Willow Shot Drew on GH

So, right now, Nina Reeves (Cynthia Watros) just found out that Willow shot Drew twice in the back, that she caused his stroke, and that Willow’s keeping him locked in. Plus, Nina’s mind was totally blown when Willow got her fingerprints on a syringe to implicate Nina in her drugging Drew, just as like a blackmail security message.

And while Nina assured Willow of course she would have chosen her and kept her secrets and protected her anyway, it’s clear she wants Nina under her thumb. She doesn’t trust anybody at this point. And I think this is down to that growing up in a cult thing. But Willow knows that Nina is worried about Charlotte Cassadine (Bluesy Burke) who’s just a kid. And so, Willow thinks that Nina might choose her ex-stepdaughter over her.

General Hospital: Nina Watches Closely

So, Nina now knows what happened. Plus Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) and Kai Taylor (Jens Austin Astrup). And of course, Willow knows that they know, so she’s keeping an eye on them. Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna) is pretty certain that Willow shot Drew. And of course, Jens Sidwell (Carlo Rota) knows. Plus, he’s planning to kill Drew, which Willow doesn’t know. Since Sidwell knows, that means there’s a chance that Cassius Faison (Ryan Paevey) and Ross Cullum (Andrew Hawkes) already know what Willow did, and they’re also sitting on the secret.

Also, it seems like Michael Corinthos (Rory Gibson) has a good idea that Willow might have done the crime even though she didn’t do the time. Because this week Michael’s talking to his sister Kristina Corinthos (Kate Mansi) and she’s asking Michael if he has proof that Willow tried to kill Drew. Now, Michael may not have proof just yet. But he could if Jacinda Bracken (Paige Herschell l) delivers what Brennan wants her to, which is info from Charlotte about where to find Valentin Cassadine (James Patrick Stuart).

Willow Chews Out Jacinda on GH

Also this week, Willow is ranting at somebody to stay away from my children, and she’s up at Nina’s office at Crimson. But I don’t think she’s talking to her mom. Looks like Willow is chewing out Jacinda, who may decide to try even harder to get the info Jack wants to help Michael after this. So, there’s just a whole lot of people that either know or heavily suspect what Willow did. And right now she’s trying to figure out how to keep Trina and Kai quiet. Because of everybody that knows they are the people most likely to blab her secret to the cops.

With Willow feeling like, okay, the walls are closing in, I suspect she may try and tie off some of those loose ends that could take her away from Wiley Corinthos (Viron Weaver) and Amelia Grace Corinthos (Sequoia and Serenity Mork Macko), even if she doesn’t wind up going to prison. And on that front, Willow cannot be criminally charged for shooting Drew. Because she was already charged, did the trial, got a not guilty verdict. She can’t be charged again for that crime on General Hospital.

But Willow could definitely be charged with drugging Drew and causing that stroke-like event and causing his locked in syndrome. And then Willow would lose her kids and her nursing certification and she’d lose her freedom. Because she’d spend years in Pentonville. And of course, she’d lose her seat in Congress.

Could Willow Work With Sidwell?

So, because Willow is poised to lose everything that matters to her, I think she’s going to start going to extremes. Jordan Ashford (Tanisha Harper) and Curtis Ashford (Donnell Turner) being in that bad car crash could actually inspire Willow to cook up a plan like that to deal with Trina and Kai. You know, we could see Willow talking to Sidwell about her issues. Because he’s going to want to protect Willow so he can keep using her power in Congress.

So, Sidwell could set up a car crash to try and take out Trina and Kai and silence them forever. Sidwell can likely also take care of the incriminating footage that Brennan has on Willow. I’m sure that Sidwell could have Cullum take care of that. Because he could just make one phone call and one of his minions at the WSB would delete the footage of Willow off the server because I’m guessing that Brennan stored it on the WSB server thinking it would be safe there.

General Hospital: Sidwell Saves Willow?

So, Sidwell could solve a few of Willow’s problems. And if the footage is gone, then Jacinda and Michael likely won’t be a problem either. As for Nina, she’s under control, you know, primarily because she loves Willow. But also because her daughter has proof that will blackmail Nina and force her compliance.

So, I think that Willow can leave Nina as a loose end and not worry about, you know, taking out her own mother. I mean, that’s one less hassle for Willow. As for Michael, I think he’s going to be angry that Willow demanded Jacinda stay away from their children. Meanwhile, when Michael demanded that Drew be kept away from their children, you know, Willow refused. So, there’s a lot of hypocrisy. And I’m sure Willow might say the difference is Drew was a respected congressman and Jacinda is an ex-hooker. But Michael thinks that Drew is worse than Willow, worse than Jacinda. And honestly, I agree.

Could Willow Target Michael on General Hospital?

I’m sure that Willow chewing out Jacinda is also gonna have Michael doubling down against Willow and wanting to get the kids away from her, which is his ongoing concern. And frankly, as long as Michael’s got air in his lungs, he is not going to stop looking for a way to take the kids away from Willow because she’s terrible. She cheated on him. She tried to frame him for Drew’s shooting when, you know, Michael is very certain that she did it. And so I do think that Willow might see Michael as a problem that needs solved.

So we could see her going to Sidwell for help with that, too. I mean, he and Cullum nearly killed Michael once when they were aiming for Sonny Corinthos (Maurice Benard) and did the penthouse bombing. And Sidwell might also decide that taking Sonny’s son is a fair punishment.

Even though Cassius told Sidwell that Sonny and Jason Morgan (Steve Burton) both have alibis for Marco Rios‘ (Adrian Anchondo) stabbing, I’m not sure that Sidwell is actually going to let it go. And Willow knows this and she’s so awful. She might tell Sidwell that she agrees with him. She thinks Sonny was the one who had Marco killed, even if he didn’t do it hands-on himself. And from there, Willow might encourage Sidwell to take out Michael in revenge. I could see Willow doing this.

General Hospital: Willow’s Against the Wall

I don’t think there’s any low she won’t stoop to keep the status quo, keep her kids in her life, and keep all the problems at bay. And in fact, Sidwell could probably solve most of Willow’s problems. He just might do it so he can keep a congresswoman in his pocket. And if Sidwell won’t help her, I think Willow honestly might go insane and start trying to eliminate anybody who could put her future at risk.

So, the clock is ticking and May sweeps could be when Willow is finally outed. It starts next week on I think April 23rd and it runs all the way through May 20th. So, we could see Willow freaking out, being scared she’s going to lose her kids. I could see her running off with Wiley and Amelia. Also, I could see her potentially harming Michael and Jacinda and also Kai and Trina. I mean, there’s literally no telling what Willow might do when the walls close in.

For a series with only four episodes, Eyes of Wakanda has inspired a disproportionate amount of debate. Some have found that there was nothing to it; others have found that there was a grandeur in the project that was not found in previous Marvel productions, in that it allowed for a more elevated version of the story and an alternative view of the history of Wakanda, presenting it as being developed over time rather than solely during a single time period. This is not a seamless or expansive epic, and it was never trying to be, but reducing it to a minor animated side note misses what the series does well, which detractors don’t allow.

What makes Eyes of Wakanda worth watching is not that every episode lands with equal force, because they don’t, but that the series approaches the MCU from an angle that feels unexpectedly fresh. It uses the Hatut Zaraze and their missions across history to expand Wakanda’s mythology in ways the films only hinted at, while pairing that broader world-building with some of Marvel Animation’s most distinctive visual work to date. The result is imperfect, occasionally frustrating, but far more thoughtful than its divisive reputation suggests, with a 51% Popcornmeter average on Rotten Tomatoes. For a compact anthology dismissed by some as disposable, it has quite a lot on its mind.

What ‘Eyes of Wakanda’ Is Really About

Image via Disney+

What seems straightforward at first glance becomes less so once one understands the context. Wakandan society has always kept its secrets safe; in this case, the safety of those secrets is entrusted to the Hatut Zaraze, covert agents who travel throughout the world to recover any vibranium artifacts that may have been stolen before their existence is made public. Every episode features a different historical event tied to one of an agent’s retrieval missions, set in another time period, such as Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Ming Dynasty China, or Colonial Era Ethiopia. None of these events has a single unifying character guiding you from one to the next; rather, the connection is through Wakanda as a place, with its paranoia, discipline, and quiet belief that simply surviving at all may require decisions no one else has to bear.

That approach shifts the focus in a way the MCU rarely allows. You’re watching a system operate across centuries, through different people, different ideologies, different pressures. One episode centers on Noni, a disgraced Dora Milaje soldier chasing redemption through a near-impossible mission. Another follows an embedded agent navigating the Trojan War from the inside, playing both sides while trying not to lose himself in the process. Elsewhere, a more impulsive operative scrambles to clean up his own mistakes before they reach Wakanda’s leadership. By the time the finale arrives, the scope widens again, pulling past and future into the same conversation without overexplaining how everything fits together.

‘Eyes of Wakanda’ Gives the MCU Something It’s Been Missing

Image via Disney+

The four-episode format is restrictive and often feels claustrophobic. The pacing of the stories is fast, with some elements moving so quickly that they miss their emotional targets. The greatest importance of plot and characterization lies between the opening and closing episodes. Middle episodes are generally less important than the opening and closing episodes; therefore, many middle episodes feature questionable plot structure and a lack of tonal balance between humorous and dramatic moments.

However, there is something refreshing about how each chapter stands alone. There is no need for backstory or entrenched continuity problems to solve. Each episode functions separately; entering, watching, and exiting with a clear understanding of what happened in both the beginning and end. Such clarity instills a quiet confidence in the series for some viewers, even if the individual episodes don’t achieve the same level of high. It also enables the series to try things different than traditional long-form storytelling, which often limits it. Different tones, stakes, and locations are explored in ways a long-running series might find difficult to test.

Critics may have mixed feelings about the piece’s narrative, but generally agree that it is one of Marvel Animation’s best animated productions so far (visually). The paintings for the series have been created in a range of styles, inspired by many artists, including Ernie Barnes and Julian Wiles. This creates a very interesting visual aesthetic throughout the series, giving it more depth and texture than you typically find in animated films. There seems to be an intention behind the use of light and color palettes, based on the specific places being displayed throughout the show.

Why This Divisive MCU Series Deserves More Credit

Image via Disney+

Much of the negative response stemmed from misaligned expectations: viewers anticipated something more like a traditional, consistent, character-led narrative (similar to Black Panther) with an emotional thread running from beginning to end. Eyes of Wakanda intentionally does not take this approach; instead, it presents a fragmented historical record that offers multiple perspectives on both what Wakanda is and the cost of keeping it secret from the world.

Not every audience member will appreciate this choice because it requires that they engage in a new way. This new form of engagement requires viewers to approach it from a historical perspective, rather than following a single character throughout their journey. However, this type of shift provides significant value to the franchise as it expands upon the MCU without overexplaining itself, allows audiences to tolerate uncertainty, and introduces morally ambiguous characters who exist outside clear categories.

While there may not be many episodes that land as a complete, Eyes of Wakanda still provides viewers with something of merit to hold on to, whether it be a visual representation of a theme, a connective thread, or lingering character(s) that stick with them far longer than originally anticipated. Considering the general critique of the franchise as overly formulaic, it seems there is more to its willingness to take creative risks than meets the eye.

Roommates, y’all already know Rihanna is never afraid to set the record straight. She was quick to do just that, sliding straight into a content creator’s comment section who seemed to believe she was expecting her fourth child with A$AP Rocky after an alleged baby bump photo surfaced on social media.

RELATED: Lil’ Fashion Killa! Rihanna’s Daughter Rocki Serves Next Level Cuteness During Pop Out In Paris (PHOTOS)

Rihanna Slides In Content Creator’s Comment Section To Address Baby #4 Speculation

At this point, fans stay on baby bump watch when it comes to Rihanna. Anytime she pops out, folks start speculating that she might have another mini-me on the way. Well, one content creator by the name of @everybodyhatekrissy was convinced Riri is pregnant after Vogue magazine allegedly dropped a photo of her with a baby bump on Facebook. Krissy even shared a video on Instagram saying she was excited for the singer and thinks living as a billionaire with four kids is a vibe.

Rihanna appeared to peep Krissy’s video and slid right into her comment section, asking her, “is the baby in the womb with us?” basically shutting down all the speculation. Folks also jumped into Krissy’s comment section right behind Rih, telling Krissy the bump photo is actually an old picture. Additionally, others hyped up the Bad Gal for clocking the tea and clearing up pregnancy rumors.

Fans Join Rihanna In Clocking Pregnancy Speculation

Fans continued to stand ten toes down behind Rihanna over in Krissy’s comment section. Peep more reactions below.

Instagram user @always_b3youtifulher wrote, “That pic is old, always getting stories wrong 😑”

Instagram user @_blubirdfli wrote, “As a woman policing another woman’s womb is crazy.” 

While Instagram user @mel_aniegoddess wrote, “Did she tell u all this ?😂😂😂” 

Then Instagram user @yonellbb wrote, “Spreading fake News and Rihanna stopped you right in your tracks 😂 Just sitting up here Assuming and lying 🤥” 

Another Instagram user @sexy_thickness__ wrote, “@badgalriri 😂😂tell them queen.” 

Instagram user @blessedlvve wrote, “I’m crying, Facebook is your source?” 

Then another Instagram user @stapuraliving wrote, “No fact checking. Just hungry for engagement.” 

Finally, Instagram user @maureenhairstylist wrote, “Rihanna is not pregnant get it straight you want views and likes some males. The woman is not pregnant.” 

Rihanna Previously Addressed “Baby Bump” Speculation: Here’s What She Said

Folks have been pressing Rihanna, assuming she was pregnant again not long after she welcomed her daughter, Rocki Irish Mayers, in September 2025. The Fenty mogul spoke with Dior during Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week, where she proudly spoke about her “little pouch,” finding fits that compliment it, and fully embracing her postpartum body.

“Favorite look? That’s impossible. I wanted the coats, I wanted the dresses…the skirts with a little bump right here at the stomach ‘cause I got a little pouch after having kids, so I’d love that.”

RELATED: Baby #4 Loading? Fans Speculate Rihanna Is Pregnant After Pop Out With A$AP Rocky (PHOTOS + VIDEO) 

Bold and the Beautiful brings Ivy Forrester (Ashleigh Brewer) and RJ Forrester (Brayan Nicoletti) trying to get both Will Spencer (Crew Morrow) and Dylan (Sydney Bullock) fired from Forrester Creations. But I kind of suspect it’s going to blow up in their faces spectacularly.

Ivy should definitely be shown the door if there’s any justice in this world and RJ may actually wind up in trouble as well. With Daphne Rose (Murielle Hilaire) spilling the beans to Electra Forrester (Laneya Grace) this week, it is about to get unhinged and it won’t be proper at all. Let’s dive in!

RJ And Ivy Demand Ridge Fire Will And Dylan on Bold and the Beautiful

All right, so this week we had Ivy and RJ in the CEO office at Forrester Creations and they were basically harassing and bossing and bullying Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye), demanding that he fire both Will and Dylan over their personal lives and this isn’t going too well for Ivy and RJ because first of all, Ridge hates to be told what to do. Second, their demands are about personal stuff. It’s not work related.

And third, because Will had already come in and spoken calmly to Steffy Forrester (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood), Ridge and Brooke Logan (Katherine Kelly Lang) and said he didn’t want personal things getting in the way at work and apologized for things being a distraction. I think they see that Will is behaving much better than RJ.

Bold and Beautiful: RJ Blows Up

I don’t know how Brooke and Ridge don’t realize that the hate spewing out of RJ’s mouth is basically him echoing how Ridge talks about Bill Spencer (Don Diamont). And yes, 100% Ridge’s hate of Bill is justified. But the way that RJ’s acting the same way about Will isn’t justified at all. RJ was going on about how Will is a sleaze and Electra deserves a stress-free life, so Will and Dylan shouldn’t be working at Forrester.

And Ridge said, “Nobody’s getting fired.” Then RJ got even nastier about how Will should be with his own kind, the Spencers, not at Forrester. And that was when Ivy strolled in to agree and she joined RJ’s bullying efforts trying to get them to fire Dylan.

Somebody who made a great personal sacrifice to help Steffy and was put in danger because of Luna Nozawa (Lisa Yamada) coming after Steffy. So no, she’s not going to fire Dylan. Plus, Steffy honestly hates Ivy. So, while Ridge said he thinks that Electra is wonderful, he reminded Ivy and RJ that he and Steffy are the ones that make the decisions about who stays and who goes. But RJ and Ivy wouldn’t stop.

Even after Ridge reminded them Forrester is a place of business, RJ just kept getting more heated. He was trashing Will. And then Ivy started basically swooning over RJ for defending Electra and how he’s a prince. Of course, Brooke loved that, you know. And RJ’s talking about how Will brings chaos. He’s got to go. Dylan has to go. Ivy’s going, “Yeah, yeah.” and she told Ridge he knows what needs to be done only he’s not going to do what Ivy’s demanding nor RJ.

Daphne Tells Electra the Truth on B&B

So, at the same time this was going on we had Will begging Electra for another chance but she said he made his choice and Dylan moving out came too late. So, if it was too late was Electra still giving that ultimatum if it’s too late and she’s not going to get back with him. It’s none of her business who lives in his guest house. But I digress. So, Will caved to the ultimatum and then Electra’s like, “Oh, it’s too late.” He made it happen in the same day.

You know, they said when she got her first paycheck, she got it. Boom. She’s gone. And Will was clueless because Electra was going on about him choosing Dylan and not meeting her. And of course, Electra’s talking about the letter. But Will’s in the dark because he never saw the letter, and he kept asking Electra to just explain what she’s talking about. But instead of communicating what happened, you know, we get this writing where she’s throwing a tantrum about it being too painful.

Bold and the Beautiful: Will Walks Out

That’s when Will just walked out frustrated. Because Electra wasn’t just talking to him and she was in a full-blown tear stain meltdown. And even though Carter Walton (Lawrence Saint-Victor) warned Daphne, “Don’t get involved.” After overhearing that, of course, she told Electra, “There’s something you need to know that’s going to change everything.”

So, Daphne obviously told Electra the truth. Because she went to confront Ivy, that’s gonna continue at the final episodes of this week. So after RJ and Ivy said all those nasty things about Will and Dylan, the explosive truth that Ivy is the nasty one is coming out and Electra demands to know where’s her letter and she and Will are both going to flip out and confront Ivy by the end of this week. That’s explosive.

Will Steffy Fire Ivy on Bold?

And from there, I suspect that Ridge and Steffy are going to make a decision to fire somebody. Neither Ridge nor Steffy want personal drama at Forrester. And Ivy stealing Electra’s letter is technically theft. I’m sure it’s against company policy. And they’re going to see Ivy’s a liar who intentionally caused major problems at work, riling things up between staff members.

So, I think that’s definitely a firing offense. And I suspect Steffy will fire Ivy because she never wanted her there anyway. And heck, Electra may even tell Steffy and Ridge she thinks Ivy needs fired, even if it cost Electra her job because it would mess up the jewelry line. Ashleigh Brewer may not be coming back after her maternity leave, you know, if indeed Ivy is fired and ostracized because it is the proper thing to do. But that all will facilitate her exit because I think at this point she’s probably had her baby and just hasn’t said anything because of the storyline.

What About RJ?

As for RJ that’s another issue. He bought what Ivy was selling hook, line and sinker and RJ was wrong to sling accusations at Will and trying to get him and Dylan fired. I don’t think Ridge would fire Golden Boy RJ. Brooke certainly wouldn’t let him. But RJ might get a sternly worded warning that he needs to stop the antics. Stop trash-talking. Will stop slamming him because of who his dad is. Learn to work peacefully or else. Honestly, RJ is an aggressively annoying nepo baby at this point. Ridge already had some words for RJ and told him to leave the personal drama at the door. And Ridge hasn’t even heard yet that Carter broke up a physical fight between RJ and Will, which is not okay.

So, after everything goes down and Ivy’s exposed, I think Ridge may basically threaten RJ, give him a very stern warning and tell him this stops now or you’re going to go to Forrester International to work with Thomas Forrester (Matthew Atkinson). I don’t think Ridge is going to put up with RJ throwing tantrums. I mean, Ridge has given his other son Thomas tough love in the past when he let personal stuff interfere with work.

Bold and the Beautiful: The Truth Comes Out

So, I don’t think that Ridge will handle it any differently with RJ, no matter what Brooke says. So, Ridge might actually write RJ a pretty harsh reality check, something that he needs to hear. Something like, “Just because your last name is Forrester and this is Forrester Creations, that doesn’t mean you get to run around bullying people, insulting them, talking nasty, starting physical fights, and demanding that his Daddy Ridge fire people that RJ doesn’t like.” That won’t fly. That is like top tier nepo baby activity. And RJ is just very unlikable right now.

Of course, another problem for him is that I’m sure Electra and Will are going to reunite when they find out that Ivy architected their breakup. And RJ might have a fit about that because he may be in denial that Ivy is the villain here, not Will and not Dylan. Because the truth bomb is kind of going to make RJ look like a big old idiot.

Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Daredevil Season 2, Episode 5.To say that Daredevil: Born Again has had a rocky road to development would be a vast understatement. While fans had been clamoring for Charlie Cox to reprise his role as Matt Murdock ever since the original Netflix Daredevil was cancelled, the initial version of Daredevil: Born Again had to be completely re-shot and reconfigured as a result of creative changes. Although the series has pulled off some of the best moments to ever feature the characters, Daredevil: Born Again has also taken major swings where the consequences aren’t fleshed out. The decision to kill off another major character isn’t just a disappointing instance of a story choice being made purely for the sake of shock value, but it’s an indictment of the series’ troublesome depiction of its female characters.

Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio) and his wife Vanessa (Ayelet Zurer) were at odds last season after Vanessa was involved with having Benjamin Pointdexter (Wilson Bethel) assassinate Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson), and the threat of Bullseye has been prevalent all Season 2. Although Bullseye nearly manages to kill Fisk at his boxing match, Vanessa is the one who is caught in the crossfire when Fisk smashes a glass ornament with his winning belt, and the shrapnel from the glass fatally wounds her. Although Vanessa manages to successfully survive the surgery, she ultimately dies not long after she regains consciousness. While Vanessa’s death will likely turn Fisk into an even more ruthless figure, he’s already been acting recklessly leading up to the boxing match. Vanessa’s death isn’t just an unnecessary and derivative narrative point, but it also robs the series of one of its most complex characters.

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Didn’t Take Advantage of Vanessa

Image via Disney+

When compared to the vast majority of other projects set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Daredevil has always had a fairly permanent sense of death, and doesn’t needlessly revive characters once they are killed off. Although Foggy’s demise was controversial, it’s not something that the series took lightly because it was important to Matt’s development into a darker, more conflicted figure. However, Vanessa’s death simply confirms a direction Fisk was already going in and undercuts her as an individual character. Considering that he is using the Anti-Vigilante Task Force as his own private militia, Fisk isn’t going to be reigned in, especially since he and Vanessa have been struggling with a growing rift between them. The assassination attempt on Fisk by Dex would already have been a convincing enough reason for him to lose control, but Vanessa’s death is a weighty moment that isn’t built up to in a compelling way. While she was once a character with dimensionality, Vanessa has become yet another sacrifice used to push along a male character’s development; this has been a consistent issue for the franchise, as Elodie Yung‘s Elektra was killed to push along Matt’s development.

What’s especially disappointing is that Vanessa has growing more powerful in the current season. Dex gives a powerful monologue to Matt when discussing the psychological torment that he endured while under her control, and Vanessa had also been making moves to legitimize her husband’s coalition by meeting with officials from the New York state government, not to mention running his criminal empire when he was gone from New York. She represented a different type of villain for the series because of her political connections, and could operate in the shadows in a way that made it more difficult for Matt to discern her plans. While the implication is that Vanessa was just as dangerous as her husband, albeit in a different way, her death seems to discredit that development by making her another sacrifice within the long game. It’s an unfortunate example of fridging, in which a female character is taken out of the story in order to further the emotional development of a male character, Fisk in this case.

‘Daredevil: Born Again’ Has an Uneven Relationship With the Netflix Series

The other issue Daredevil: Born Again has run into is its revolving door of villains, as Mr. Charles (Matthew Lillard) and Buck (Arty Froushan) haven’t proven that they will have the same level of moral ambiguity. Vanessa was one of the rare female characters in Marvel’s television to have a position of authority and power, but there was still room to expand upon her history. When considering that there have been entire flashback episodes that delved into what drove Dex and Fisk to become more ruthless, Vanessa’s backstory has been shrouded in a degree of mystery that could have come to play in future installments in the series. It would be one thing if Vanessa’s death was part of the endgame for what Daredevil: Born Again had in mind, but another season is already in production. It’s disappointing that a character who was clearly being developed was reduced to being a catalyst for Fisk’s aggression, especially since Vanessa hadn’t had the chance to have confrontations with some of the other new characters.

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“The Grand Design” even included a flashback moment when Fisk discusses entering the art world with his former right-hand man, James Wesley (Toby Leonard Moore), which sets up why he meets Vanessa in the gallery back in the first season of the Netflix series. Vanessa’s death is not only an exhausting example of a show putting a ceiling on what its female characters are allowed to accomplish, but a decision that makes Fisk less interesting. The scenes of the Fisks marital issues in Season 1 offered a vulnerability to the character that made him more complex than how he had appeared in the original Netflix series. And as exciting as it will be to see Krysten Ritter pop up later in the season, Daredevil: Born Again hasn’t offered much for its female characters, especially since Deborah Ann Woll has been given little to do in the last four episodes as well. Vanessa’s death is a worrying sign for Daredevil: Born Again, proving that no matter how far the show has come, it is still prone to missteps.

By TeeJay Small
| Published 24 seconds ago

Sometimes an actor does such an incredible job in a landmark role that it becomes impossible to picture anyone else taking on the mantle. Characters like Batman or the Joker are almost designed to be passed down for each new generation, but others are defined by a single performance.

JK Simmons’ J. Jonah Jameson, for instance, is so fundamental that the MCU didn’t even attempt to recast the newspaper editor once they took control of the Spider-Man IP. Now, thanks to a report in Variety, we know that Lord Voldemort actor Ralph Fiennes is ready to officially hand the villain of the wizarding world off to one of his esteemed colleagues.

Voldemort Lobbies To Gender Swap Himself

Specifically, Fiennes has pointed at Tilda Swinton as the perfect Voldemort, expressing “I think she would be amazing.” Fiennes famously portrayed he who shall not be named during the original run of the Harry Potter film franchise, reprising the role a total of five times from 2005 through 2011.

With a new HBO reboot series on the way, fans have been cautiously optimistic for casting news. Several names, including Tilda Swinton and Oppenheimer‘s Cillian Murphy have circulated, though none have been confirmed at the time of this writing.

Why Ray Fiennes Can’t Return As Harry Potter’s Villain

Performers that have been confirmed to appear in the new Harry Potter series include Nick Frost, John Lithgow, and newcomer Dominic McLaughlin. Fiennes claims that he would have loved to return for a time, but “that ship has sailed” now that so much time has passed. It makes sense that decorated actors like Tilda Swinton and Cillian Murphy would top the list for fan castings, since they both offer uniquely intense performances, impressive range, and slender, pale frames, similar to the build you’d expect from Hogwarts’ Dark Lord.

Casting Voldemort may turn out to be a make-or-break decision for the success of the Harry Potter show, since the series already has so many cards stacked against it. Promo images have been released for the inaugural season, though the style and design were torn apart by social media users. Likewise, the project has been viewed as radioactive to some fans, due to J.K. Rowling‘s polarizing online presence, particularly in regard to her outspoken stance against the transgender community.

The Politics Of It All

Casting a woman who self-identifies as queer in the pivotal role could be a lifeline for fans who disagree with Rowling’s views on transgender ideology, but it also runs the risk of offending her supporters. Any way you slice it, it’s a complete tightrope walk for the producers of the series.

That’s why it’s important to absolutely nail it by selecting someone as talented and capable as Swinton. As we’ve seen in the past, fans can move past casting choices quickly when the performances are truly undeniable. In 2026, nobody is complaining about Samuel L. Jackson’s turn as Nick Fury, or even Chris Pratt‘s straightforward delivery as Mario.

The Harry Potter series is due for a Christmas premiere later this year. As that date draws near, we’re bound to keep getting casting updates.